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Monday, July 15, 2013

The Baseball Historian's Notes for July 15, 2013: Is it Time to Change the All Star Game?

Despite making his major league debut on June 3rd and only playing in
37 games, 23-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers rookie sensation Yasiel Puig received
a huge
surge of support to make this year’s National League All Star team. The
outfielder has done his best Roy Hobbs impression by hitting a blistering .392
with eight home runs and 19 RBI. While he made it to the final cut, he won’t be
playing in the mid-summer classic on July 16th at Citi Field in Flushing, New
York, as Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman grabbed the final roster
spot.

An All Star nod for Puig would have been unprecedented but may have
been exactly what baseball needs. As opposed to suffering through the mandatory
representative from every team, MLB should move to a model that puts the most
exciting players on the field. In this age of technology, fans from around the
world are no longer relegated to primarily watching their hometown teams, so
making sure every franchise has at least one player in the game is no longer as
necessary.

The All Star game, which has rapidly lost appeal (This time it counts,
anyone?), could use a shot of adrenaline administered squarely in a buttock.
Showcasing the best up-and-coming stars like Puig would be a great way to do
that. If MLB added one roster spot per squad for a top rookie or young player,
they could introduce a new dynamic while not entirely blowing up the old
system.

Although baseball embraces tradition with giant bear hugs, the truth is
the game is frequently changing. The All Star game isn’t nearly as exciting as
it used to be and needs to be fixed. If baseball can accomplish that while
marketing its youngest best and brightest, it could be a win-win for everyone.

***The last All Star game hosted by the New York Mets was all the way
back in 1964. It was a classic, as Philadelphia Phillies outfield Johnny
Callison won the game for the National League with a walk-off home run against
giant Boston Red Sox closer Dick Radatz. ESPN.com’s
Steve Wulf recently did a wonderful profile on that game and the life and
career of Callison, who was once billed as the next Mickey Mantle. Callison may
not have reached such lofty expectations, but he did have an excellent 16-year
major league career. He was able to overcome humble beginnings and to live a
very successful life that stretched well beyond what he accomplished on the
baseball diamond.

***Willie Mays is often mentioned as the best all-around player to ever
set foot on a baseball diamond. His eclectic skills may have only been
surpassed by the fictional feats of Sidd Finch, a lanky pitcher who was the literary
creation of author George Plimpton. This picture
shows Mays and Plimpton sitting side-by-side, in full uniform (Plimpton loved
playing and writing about sports), no doubt discussing the inner workings of
the game which they each had their own mastery of.

***Legendary comedian Don Rickles, who is also a big fan of baseball
and the Dodgers, claims former Los Angeles manager Tommy Lasorda once let him
make a pitching
change during a game. SB Nation’s Rob Neyer speculates in an article that
if that actually happened, it would have been during the 1977 season, when the
Dodgers ran away with their division.

Rickles indicated he was in uniform and actually removed a pitcher from
the game. Neyer can find no actual evidence that this ever happened, but also
can’t conclusively say it didn’t. Either way, it’s a great story.

***There’s no historical significance to this next bit unless you count
unbridled laughter that is sure to last for generations. During a Red Sox and
Los Angeles Angels game several years ago at Fenway Park, a fan kerfuffle broke
out in the third base stands after a foul ball interference. The imbroglio that followed
included a perfectly good piece of pizza being launched through the air and on
to the shoulder of the offending fan. The slice slinger was escorted from the
game but not before his actions caused Red Sox announcers Don Orsillo and Jerry
Remy to erupt into convulsive giggles.

***Bobby Cox won 2,504 games during a 29-year major league managerial
career spent primarily with the Atlanta Braves. With 15 division titles and
five pennants to his name, he will be a slam dunk for the Hall of Fame. MLB.com’s
Terence Moore wrote about how the 72-year-old Cox may have retired
following the 2010 season but has not distanced himself from the game. He still
keeps track at home from his recliner, micromanaging without having to
experience the grind from the dugout.

***Legendary Babe Ruth played his first major league game 99 years ago
on July 11, 1914 for the Red Sox. To commemorate the event, SI.com’s
Cliff Corcoran came up with 99 cool facts about the Bambino. These include how
he was groomed to become a shirt maker before finding a career in baseball, and
the fact that he won just a single MVP award during his Hall-of-Fame career. Part
of what made him so popular while he played and now in death is how interesting
his career and life were compared to the average player.

***And now, your moment of Zen. It may a little bit past Independence
Day but never too late to celebrate a blatant act of patriotism. On April 25,
1976 at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saved an American flag
from being lit on fire by a couple of pyromaniacal protesters. Just as the
banner was doused with lighter fluid and about to go up in flames, Monday
sprinted in from his position to snatch
the symbol of America safely off the field just in the nick of time.

A horrendous outfielder, the moment was arguably the greatest defensive
play of his career.